Change, change, read all about it.

Each passing day gets a little less painful. Tonight I read a great letter written in Ryan's defense to the newspaper.

Here it is:

"This is the second letter I am writing to the Sungazette on this matter…I am hoping the other one just got lost in cyberspace. On Saturday October 16, 2010 I had the pain as many others did to walk through the receiving line at a Memorial Service for Ryan Matthew Jasper. As I walked through that line and embraced his Grandparents, Mother, Father, Sister, Step-Father, and loving fiancé I couldn’t help but think back to last Thursdays newspaper where Ryan’s privacy was violated, the truth was altered, and his monumental time on this earth was degraded and disrespected by words. As I sat there and looked around the funeral home at the amount of tears, heartache, and sorrow that filled that room, actually the whole building, I became angry at the newspaper itself for allowing a release of an article that disgraced the front page, and I felt pain for his family who had just endured the most painful loss of their lives. I ask myself where the compassion went for another human. When do we say enough is enough and stop trying to beat down someone, disgrace them, or humiliate them? When do we start turning to the person next to us and simply saying, sorry? When do we as a community stop hitting the person when they are down? What happened to the Golden Rule? What happened to treating people as we would want to be treated? I know as a friend and ex-employee of Ryan…he did that. He helped everyone around him who needed it. It didn’t matter what color you were, whether you drove a Harley, Mercedes, rode the bus, or had a car at all. It didn’t matter to him at all. I know why it didn’t matter to him, because he had compassion for other people, he cared how that person would feel after they walked away from him. Ryan lived the Golden Rule! He might not have lived a perfect life, we ALL have our problems; but that doesn’t mean or give anyone the right to kick someone when they are down. So when you read this article I hope that you think of that incredible smile that stared back at you from his obituary, because that is the one he would have showed you! RIP Ryan! We love you and miss you always!"

Thank you Monique!

After reading this, she is so right. Ryan didn't care about how many friends a person had, what kind of clothes people wore, or what others thought of him. How many times do we judge people based on these things on a daily basis? No one is perfect but I encourage all of you, myself included, to let people be themselves without judging them constantly. Show compassion and reach out to those around you whenever you can. Don't beat someone when they're down. Instead, help pick them up off the ground. We never know when all someone needs is an extra hand.

Goodnight. I am off to say my prayers and tell Ryan about my day.

Nighty night,

Lynds